Bullet With Butterfly Wings
by GaiasChosen
Summary: Duo is keeping secrets from Heero and Heero becomes determined to find out what these secrets are.
1. Duo's Secret

Title: Bullet with Butterfly Wings

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: THIS IS NOT A SONGFIC! (I promise…) slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU….um.. I think that's it….

Disclaimers: pouts The Gundam Pilots don't belong to me, but I love to play with them! If you wanna give them to me for free, I'll take 'em… Also, the song belongs to the Smashing Pumpkins, I just borrowed the title…

Notes: This fic is a little different from what I usually write. It's in first person and it's Heero's POV…. grins But it's fun to write.

Feedback: I'd love it!

Archived: pwease? Just ask me…

**Bullet with Butterfly Wings by Gaia**

**Duo's Secret**

There's always been something different about him. He's so pale, so strong. His body hides who he really is; it shows a delicate, elfin boy instead of a hardened terrorist.

Even Quatre's muscles show. Without a shirt, he looks menacing to say the least. But Duo… you'd think he had never lifted anything, let alone the weights he did. He's strong, though. Almost as strong as me.

It bothers me that I can't figure him out. I will though, no matter what it takes.

Duo bounded into the room, his eyes almost glowing with excitement.

"Hey, Heero? Want to go play a game of basketball with me? The Docs have given us a few days off!"

I snorted. I already knew about the mini-vacation.

Duo pouted.

"Don't you want to play with me?" I started at the suggestive words. Looking over at him, I saw humor glinting in his eyes for just a second before his entire face became a picture of hurt.

"Hn." I stood, walking past Duo. As I reached the front door, I looked back over my shoulder and saw that unhappy face.

"Well? Are you coming or what?"

A grin spread across his face and he was suddenly pressed up against me, hugging me to him tightly.

I stiffened in the embrace, not knowing what to do, and then he was gone, already racing down the sidewalk with a basketball in his hand.

Sometimes, it seemed, he was faster than even me.

Duo and I leaned back against the chain-link fence of the court.

"Good game, Yuy."

"Thanks, Duo."

We sat in companionable silence until a small group of kids came by to see if we were still using the court.

"Hey, Heero?" Duo's voice held a note of seriousness I had never heard before. I acknowledged him with a grunt.

"What are we really fighting for?"

"Peace, Duo. We're fighting to end this war so kids like that don't have to fight like we do."

This answer seemed to satisfy him, but left him quiet for the rest of the short walk back.

Duo's laptop beeped incessantly. He wasn't in the room. I listened carefully and could just barely make out the sounds of the shower running. The other three pilots had gone out to pick up dinner.

The beeping reminded me of the braided pilots chatter, unending and annoying.

I stood from my own laptop and only meant to turn off the volume, but I knew so little about him.

I 'accidentally' clicked on the message and was rewarded with code filling the screen. Quickly deciphering it, I discovered that it appeared to be a phone number, date and time. The date and time were later tonight.

"We're supposed to be on vacation…"

In the back of my mind, I was paying attention to the shower and heard it turn off.

I quickly minimized the window, making it look like I had not touched his computer and flew across the room to sit in front of my own computer.

I had just started typing again when Duo walking in, a towel slung across his hips and his hair flowing around him damply.

He was… gorgeous. I had never really noticed before. Duo had a masculine beauty and I was reacting to it.

He dropped his towel, his back to me and I wanted to get up and walk over to him. I shook my head silently to clear it of these thoughts and tried to continue typing.

My fingers didn't want to cooperate. I looked at the computer screen, trying to figure out what I was trying to type. My screen was filled with gibberish.

Giving up, I turned back to Duo, thankful that he had braided his hair and put on black silk boxers.

"You have a message on your laptop. I hit mute because it was annoying as hell, kind of like you."

Duo laughed, throwing his head back.

"So, the Perfect Soldier has a sense of humor. I would never have guessed." He walked over to his laptop, not bothering to finish getting dressed.

"Shit, you've got to be fucking kidding me. Fuck!" Duo slammed the top of his computer closed and angrily stalked over to his bed, mumbling about lying scum and forgotten vacations.

"What's wrong, Duo?" I asked, shocked by his reactions.

"Hm? Oh… it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Duo threw himself on his bed, apparently done talking.

I sat at my computer, lost in thought.

I waited to go to bed that night, trying to find out what was going on with Duo.

At precisely 12:53, one hour before he was supposed to call the number, Duo yawned.

"I'm going to bed. Turn off the light when you finish." Duo flopped on his bed and was almost immediately asleep.

I wasn't fooled. I shut everything down for the night, well aware that Duo had 'accidentally' left his computer on, but in standby.

I got into bed and watched Duo for the next hour, pretending to sleep just like he was. At 1:51, he slid slowly out of bed and tiptoed to his computer, moving his mouse to 'wake it up', as he called it.

He jotted down the information from the message and hurried out of the room and down the stairs.

Almost as silently as the master of stealth himself, I followed Duo to the living room and overheard the tail end of his conversation.

"… Why now? This is supposed to be my fucking vacation, G! Do you realize how long it's been since I had a break? Even J is letting his Perfect Soldier take a break and he's not even fighting two fucking wars!" Duo sat on the couch, his head in his hands.

I saw the mushroom shaped head of his mentor on screen sigh.

"I can't do this for much longer. One or the other war has to end soon, or I'll go crazy."

"I truly am sorry, Duo. This needs to be done and you know it. It's getting worse. You contacts are in Fairfield, Connecticut. They'll find you. Be there tomorrow by 9:00 p.m." The vid-phone disconnected, leaving the room in darkness.

Duo stood up and walked out of the room through the other door. Seconds later, the front door slammed shut.

A keening wail sounded in the yard, causing me to jump. I raced through the room, throwing open the front door and immediately stopped.

Duo lay curled in a ball, crying into the grass. I backed up slowly, not knowing how to deal with him like this.

I retreated all the way to our room and lay in bed, waiting for Duo to come back. Three hours later, Duo walked slowly into the room and stood over my bed, looking down at me.

"Heero… I'm going to miss you, buddy. I might not come back this time, so don't forget me." Duo stifled a sob and walked to his bed. He rolled into it and folded his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

Duo's alarm clock clicked on, blasting hard rock music into the nearly silent room.

My eyes popped open at the first strains of the music, but Duo was already rolling over to turn it off.

I blinked in surprise. I always woke up before Duo when his alarm went off. He slept like the dead. I studied his face as he got up and went to his closet. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, proving that he hadn't slept.

I had apparently dozed off before he set his alarm because it was now 8:00 in the morning and Duo usually didn't even stir before noon.

Pulling out his black duffle bag, he started to pack it with the essentials: clothes, shower supplies, boots, blankets, etc.

When he had finished packing, he walked out of the room.

I had noticed that he hadn't packed his usual supply of weaponry.

Before I could think about that for long, Duo stalked back into the room with a bag I had never seen before.

It was a black duffle bag, with more pockets than I had ever seen. The straps were all embroidered with silver designs that I didn't understand. They looked similar to ancient glyphs from what I could tell.

Duo dropped it on the bed and walked back to his closet. The outfit he took out looked more like it was made for clubbing than a mission.

I held my breath while he pulled on the clothes.

Black leather clung to his body like a second skin. The black turtle neck he pulled on over his head seemed to absorb the small amount of light in the room. He sat on the bed and slid his feet into his usual scuffed, black, calf-length boots and laced them up with practiced ease.

Duo stood and stretched. I watched as his turtle neck rose, revealing a pale expanse of his stomach. He walked back to his closet for a final time and pulled out another item he had managed to keep hidden. He pulled on the black leather trench coat that clung tightly to his body, just barely skimming the ground as he moved.

I was in shock. Duo wasn't just gorgeous anymore, he was downright sexy.

He unzipped the second largest pocket of the black and silver duffle bag and pulled out an array of weaponry. He flipped the sides of the trench coat out, slipping daggers into sheaths that I hadn't seen before. Gleaming silver blades slid into this boots, sheaths on his thighs, and at his hips. What appeared to be stakes flipped up into his hands and were hidden away up his sleeves. It seemed to me that he was now the God of Death he claimed to be.

I waited a second as he pulled the zipper closed on the duffle bag and then sat up in my bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked, hoping I could hide the fact that I knew he was leaving.

"I have a mission and I have to leave in ten minutes." Duo picked up both duffle bags as if nothing was out of the ordinary and walked out of the room. I followed him slowly as he headed for Deathscythe's hiding place.

I lost control of my mouth at that point and heard myself asking what kind of mission it was.

Duo stopped and turned. He glared at me, his purple eyes flashing.

"Not a mission I can talk about, Yuy. You've had those before." Duo growled and flipped back around.

I stood dumbly as he pulled the camouflage netting off Deathscythe and climbed up and in. The trench coat flowed behind him, blocking my view of his legs. Instead of an actual climb, it seemed like he was floating up to the cockpit. For all I know, he could have been, his climb went by so quickly.

A plan formed in my head as I watched him prep his Gundam and take off. A smirk crossed my lips and I bolted back into the house after he was out of sight.

Racing back to our room, I pulled out my already packed duffle bag and snatched my laptop.

Quatre gave me the Look as I raced back through the house, heading for Wing Zero. I promised myself I would contact them as soon as I was in the air.

Hastily stowing the duffle bag and making sure my gun was pressing against my back like it normally did, I prepped Wing and took off.

As soon as I was airborne, I popped open the top of my laptop and typed code quickly. Maps flashed across the screen, showing five scattered, blinking dots.

My fingers clicked out the last part of the code necessary. _DSDM_. One dot flickered as its map was pulled up and took over the screen of the laptop. Smirking for the second time that day, I plotted my course and put Wing on auto-pilot. Leaning back smugly, I opened a communication line with the safe house we had been at for the past week.

"Heero? Where are you going? And, for that matter, where is Duo going? He looked like he was headed out for a mission, but he couldn't be. We're supposed to be on vacation…" Quatre rambled on for another minute or so, not allowing me to get a word in.

"Quatre," I cut him off. "Duo is headed for Connecticut. Why, I don't know. That is why I'm following him. He said he's headed for a mission and the conversation he had with Dr. G on the phone last night could only confirm that, but it doesn't add up. If G were to give Duo a mission, J wouldn't hesitate on calling me back in." I smiled at the astonished look on Quatre's face.

"He said he's going on a mission? Conversation with G? Why didn't he tell us about this?"

"I honestly don't know, Quatre, but I intend to find out." I closed the link to the safe house, satisfied that they knew what was going on.

I made myself comfortable for the long flight and drifted off, my eyes focused on the blinking red dot that was Duo Maxwell until they grew heavy and closed.

_Four hours later._

Wing Zero touched down gently in an abandoned field.

Glancing at the map on my laptop, I confirmed that Duo was close-by, but not close enough to detect me.

Maneuvering Wing into the tree-line, I hopped out with my duffle bag and laptop and covered my Gundam with camouflage netting.

I checked my position one last time to confirm the fifteen minute walk to town and closed the top, sliding it into the duffle bag.

Walking down a well-beaten path, I marveled at the beauty of the day even as I wondered what my braided partner was up to.

_Twenty minutes later._

Fairfield, Connecticut was different from what I had imagined it to be. It looked like a quaint little village, not the bustling metropolis that it actually was.

I stood on the sidewalk, gazing at all of the stores, wondering which one Duo would wait in until 9:00. I rapidly found my answer in the large black letters on a brick building.

Borders Bookstore, the sign proclaimed. I grinned. I knew I would find Duo in the bookstore, especially since it had a café in it. The two things that Duo loved most: books and food. It was his version of heaven.

I walked quickly past the windows of café part, knowing that if Duo looked up, he would immediately know that I followed him. Luckily, it seemed that he was engrossed in a rather thick, leather-bound book. I stepped closer to see what it was and was shocked by what I saw.

The leather was a brownish red with gold filigree painted in flower and leaf patterns. _The Complete Works of William Shakespeare_ was written down the middle of the cover, shining brightly in the light of the café. I backed up, not knowing what to think anymore.

Duo was fighting two wars, he had a serious side, he was absolutely gorgeous, and now he was reading Shakespeare. I couldn't think. I had to sit down.

Stumbling backwards, I ran for the back of the store and sank into one of the chairs by the manga section.

Slowly, my breathing calmed and my heart returned to its normal beat. He was more different than I had assumed. He had looked so into what he was reading, but I wouldn't have thought that he would understand it. Old English is hard to understand, but he seemed to be having no problems.

I have no idea how long I sat in that chair thinking about Duo. The next thing I really remember is looking up and realizing that it was night. I glanced quickly at my watch. It was 7:55.

I breathed in sigh of relief. Duo wouldn't have left yet. He still had time.

"So, we have an hour, right?" A soft, feminine alto voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Yeah. An hour until we meet him. I'm excited, aren't you?" A slightly higher voice, contralto probably, confirmed my suspicions.

Whoever was on the other side of the bookcase I sat near were the ones that Duo was meeting tonight. They carried on their conversation, unaware that they were being listened to.

"Are you going to buy the next Gravitation?" the first voice asked.

"Of course. I want to find out what happens next with Shuichi and Yuki. You know you want to know to…"

I stood, trying to catch a glimpse of the two women and failed. The bookcases were taller than I had thought a first sight.

Peeking around the corner, I caught sight of the two women… no, girls… who were to be Duo's contacts.

The shorter one was clutching a manga to her red and black corseted chest while leaning down to read more titles. The corset was pulled tightly, allowing quite a bit of flesh to be visible above the neckline. Tight black pants clung to her slim body, disappearing into knee length black and red leather boots. The final touch to the outfit was the black leather trench coat that trailed on the floor.

Her companion was dressed similarly. Her tank top was a green and back wrap, the black hiding most of the green where it slashed over her shoulder. She wore suede pants that softened the hard lines of muscle in her legs. They, like her companion's, disappeared into knee length black and green leather boots. Her black leather trench coat hung an inch off the floor, flaring slightly with each movement. She stood, watching the other pour over titles with her arms crossed over her chest.

The pair seemed to be mismatched despite their outfits. One was smaller, willowy, while the other seemed to be all muscle.

Thoughts of their unlikely partnership were put on hold as I followed them over to the café.

They waited patiently on the line, ignoring the odd looks thrown at them from the customers and staff alike.

I snorted, thinking it was slightly ridiculous to look at them like that from some of the outfits I had seen in my short amount of time in the town. Outfits like theirs seemed to be a common occurrence in the town. No one, however, had managed to pull off quite such a dangerous appearance as the two girls… other than Duo.

I listened to them order: one double espresso for the short one and a peppermint paddy mocha freeze for the tall one. Such innocent drinks for ones who seemed so deadly.

They made their way to the seating area and froze. Their gazes were locked on the form of MY braided baka.

I stopped. When had I started thinking of him as mine? I shook my head to clear it of such thoughts and watched as the girls nodded to each other and stalked over to Duo's table.

They slid out two chairs at his table and sank into them, ignoring the shocked look on his face.

"Hi. What are you drinking?" The shorter one gazed at Duo as she sipped her espresso.

"French vanilla coffee. Umm…. Do I know you?" Duo met her gaze with a confused look.

"You don't know us, but I'm guessing you're here to meet us, Duo." The taller girl grinned as his face went white.

"So… you're my contacts?"

"Yup… I'm Gaia and she's Dweia." She stuck her hand out and Duo reluctantly grabbed it.

"You look so young though… How can I be sure you are what you say you are?" Duo looked between the two girls.

"We look young? You should talk, you look the same age as we do." Dweia leaned back, still slowly sipping her espresso.

Duo sighed, not wanting to launch into an explanation right now. They would figure it out later.

"We're not going to talk about the mission tonight. You've had a long day. G wanted us to find you a hotel, but we have enough room in our apartment, so we just figure you could stay there with us. It'll save you money." Gaia drank her peppermint mocha freeze, grinning at Duo.

"That will be fine. Thanks for trusting me. Not many people do." Duo grinned.

"We trust you because of what you do and because we think you're cute." Dweia set her empty cup on the table and stood.

Gaia stood and looked in my general direction. "Follow us… oh… and your friend is perfectly welcome to join us too." With that, she started for the back of the store.

I froze. They had seen me? They hadn't acknowledged me, yet they had seen me. Only people trained for that sort of thing would be able to do that, like Duo… or me.

Duo stood and turned towards where I was standing. I straightened from my crouch, figuring he would find me eventually because he knew someone was tailing him.

"Heero… why are you tailing me?"

End Part 1

That's it for now… It was just a random idea that my muse thought I should write… Thanks, Dweia!

Please, if you like it or hated it, let me know!


	2. The Partial Truth

Title: Bullet with Butterfly Wings 2?

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: THIS IS NOT A SONGFIC! (I promise…) slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU….um.. I think that's it….

Disclaimers: pouts The Gundam Pilots don't belong to me, but I love to play with them! If you wanna give them to me for free, I'll take 'em… Also, the song belongs to the Smashing Pumpkins, I just borrowed the title…

Notes: This fic is a little different from what I usually write. It's in first person and it's Heero's POV…. grins But it's fun to write.

Feedback: I'd love it!

Archived: pwease? Just ask me…

**Bullet with Butterfly Wings by Gaia**

**The Partial Truth**

"Heero… why are you tailing me?"

I flinched under his angry gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

"I… I… um… don't really know."

Duo sighed and turned away from me, following the two girls out of the bookstore.

I drew myself up to my full height and followed them, telling myself that it was for Duo's own good.

Following three flowing trench coats was no hardship. They stood out easily, despite the large amounts of people running around the store.

We piled into a Jeep Wrangler, with Dweia driving. She pulled out quickly and headed for the exit.

I sat next to Duo quietly, not knowing what to say. He didn't even look at me for the entire ride. If I looked at him, he pointedly ignored me.

The five minute ride seemed to last forever as my normally talkative partner became as taciturn as I usually was.

Dweia pulled the car to a stop in front of a non-descript gray house. She and Gaia immediately got out and walked around the side of the house, motioning for me and Duo to join them.

Gaia climbed a set of stairs quickly and slid a key into a door.

She pushed the door open slowly and then turned back to look at me and Duo.

"I hope you two aren't allergic to any types of animals…" She pushed the door open the rest of the way and disappeared into the house.

As I stepped into the house, the décor shocked me. These two girls seemed to be the type who would paint a room black or some other dark color. However, their kitchen was painted brilliant white, complete with shining silver appliances. The other rooms were varying shades bright blues, greens, and purples, with green, blue, and black furniture. The wood pieces were almost all polished mahogany.

Duo and I followed them into the living room and sat on opposite ends of the couch.

"We hadn't really planned on two people, so I hope you two don't mind sharing the pull-out bed." Gaia grinned as she plopped herself in an over-stuffed chair.

Duo glanced over at me. "We're used to having to share a bed…"

I nodded and hesitantly glanced at him, but he was already looking away and ignoring me again.

Dweia sat curled up in a rocking chair. Her eyes were closed and a slight smile was on her face.

"It's good to be home, huh Gaia?"

"Definitely." Gaia reached across a table and grabbed a small container. She started to pull off the top, when a flash of gray and white streaked across the room into her lap.

Duo and I stared in shock at the wolf that now lay in Gaia's lap, lazily eating treats out of her hand and occasionally licking it.

"Who's a good boy? Yes, you are! Did you protect the house while we were gone? Good boy." Gaia stroked the wolf's head as he finished his treat and then nuzzled under her arm and began to fall asleep.

"Now, Duo, are you going to introduce us to your friend or do I have to get Lakota here to drag it out of him?" At the sound of his name, the wolf looked at me and licked his snout menacingly, in my opinion. Those fangs looked dangerous.

"His name is Heero and he's my partner. Apparently, he doesn't trust me enough to let me take care of this mission on my own, even though he knows nothing about it." Duo glared at me. His glare was almost as strong as mine. I had never realized that before.

"Duo, that's not true." I tried to plead with him using my eyes, but that wasn't as effective as I thought it would be. He must be immune to it because he's so good at it.

"We'll talk about this later, Heero."

I sighed at his tone. He sounded pissed.

"Well… um… so you guys haven't met Taletha yet." Dweia sounded uncomfortable as she introduced us to the lynx that had draped itself over her shoulders at some point in the last five minutes.

I sat, barely listening to what was going on in the room. Duo was mad at me. The only time I had ever seen him angry was when we were fighting and one of us was in trouble.

I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Gaia looking down at me.

"I said we're going to go get some sleep. You guys should too because tomorrow is when we debrief you." With that, she mounted the stairs and disappeared.

Dweia said goodnight and followed her up the stairs after helping us set up the pull-out bed.

Duo turned his back on me as soon as they left.

"Duo… I need to explain… I…"

Duo cut me off before I could even get to my explanation.

"Save it, Heero. You obviously don't think I'm capable of taking care of my mission. Just leave me alone for now, alright?" Duo pulled out his plain duffel and rustled around for his boxers and t-shirt that he always wore to bed.

"Duo, I do think you're capable. I was just worried because I accidentally overheard your conversation with G last night and saw your reaction to it. I don't know what this mission is about or what is going to go on, but I needed to know what else you are doing."

Duo started glaring when he heard that I had listened to his conversation with G. "How much did you overhear?"

I coughed. I couldn't lie to him. "All of it."

Duo's eyes burned with anger and… something more.

"You are unbelievable, Yuy. You followed me all the way here just because you were curious? You know, curiosity killed the cat." Duo flipped his braid over his shoulder and stalked out of the room.

I sank onto the bed and couldn't help snickering. Apparently, Duo had forgotten the second half of that proverb. _But satisfaction brought it back._

When Duo walked back into the room, I didn't pretend to be asleep like he apparently thought I would. The shocked look on his face told me everything.

"Were… were you really worried about me, Heero?" His voice was hesitant and he refused to look at me.

"Yes." He looked up at that and smiled slightly. Duo nodded and climbed onto the pull-out bed beside me. He sighed and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep for the first time in over twenty-four hours.

I lay there, watching him sleep for an undeterminable amount of time. I stroked his hair, satisfied to hear him purr in his sleep.

I drifted off with my hand still tangled in his hair.

Warmth. I never woke up to warmth. The beds in the safe houses were warm enough, but this was a different kind. Something was nuzzling my neck slowly, a deep purr emanating from my side.

Memories from last night flashed through my mind and I remembered the wolf. _Wolf!_ I tried not to move, afraid that he would rip my throat out if I scared him and slowly opened my eyes.

Imagine my shock when there was no wolf next to me, but one Duo Maxwell, nuzzling my throat in his sleep.

I could feel his breath right where my pulse flickered under my skin. It sent a warm shiver through me.

Pulling my head back slowly, I gazed down at him. He really was beautiful, with his heart-shaped face and brown hair that was shot through with red and blonde highlights.

His mouth fell open more in his sleep and I felt a trickle of drool slide down the side of my throat. I pulled away more and caught sight of something that shouldn't have been there.

Duo's teeth were sharp, sharper than they should have been. His two canines were lengthened, sticking out of his mouth slightly. He pulled me back to him in his sleep and I could feel the slight prick of those teeth against my neck.

I didn't know what to do. My breath came in faster, sharper than usual.

Duo was a vampire and he was about to sink his teeth into my jugular.

My soldier's reactions took over and I rolled out from under his arm and onto the floor, hitting with a soft thump. I yelped slightly, as I had landed on my ankle, but stifled most of the sound, hoping that Duo would stay asleep.

Unfortunately for me, Lakota chose that exact moment to come bounding down the stairs and take a flying leap onto the middle of the pull-out couch, exactly where Duo was currently laying.

"Oof. Hey, get off of me, you stupid mutt." Duo tried to push the slobbering wolf away, but to no avail. Lakota decided his face wasn't clean enough and set about fixing that.

Gaia and Dweia had followed the wolf down the stairs and took in the scene. I was still sitting on the floor, on my ankle, and Duo was swatting at the wolf's nose.

"Heero, what are you doing on the floor? Did Duo make you sleep there?" Dweia asked, looking disapprovingly at Duo.

"Wait. Why are you on the floor, Heero? When I fell asleep, you were on the bed…" Duo trailed off and I could see the wheels in his mind turning, even if I didn't have the faintest idea of what he was thinking.

"You… you aren't human…" I couldn't help the words that poured out of my mouth. "You…your mouth… fangs… not normal."

Duo looked at me in shock. "What are you talking about?" He glanced up at the two girls on the stairs as he hissed out his questions. "Have you lost your mind?"

We both looked up when Gaia and Dweia giggled. "You know, Duo, you're good at the whole innocent act. Unfortunately for you, we know about you already."

"You… what? How? Who told you?" Duo stood, facing them. I stayed sitting, waiting to find out just what the hell Duo was.

"Your mentor, vampy baby. He felt that we should know so that we didn't try to kill you in your sleep. Even if he hadn't told us, we would have known."

"Vampy baby?" I choked. "You're a vampire?" I looked at Duo in shock and hurried to my feet. Backing away slowly, my eyes widened and I reached up to my neck. No puncture wounds there. I heaved a sigh of relief.

"I'm not a vampire, exactly. My mother was in labor and not anywhere near a hospital. The doctors were… not in time to save her. Al… a vampire bite her and she bled to death. They saved me, barely. Unfortunately enough for me, enough of the DNA mixed with my own that I became what is called a vampeel. Half vampire, half human. All of their strengths, none of their weaknesses. (1)"

I started laughing and couldn't stop myself. I was hysterical. My best friend had just admitted to being a vampire. What else was I supposed to do?

My laughter faded into soft hiccups when I felt arms around me. I looked up into the aqua depths of Dweia's eyes and shivered. I couldn't hear anything except a rushing in my ears.

I heard them murmuring around me, but wasn't really listening. Duo was a vampeel. That's why… I shuddered. No wonder he seemed so different from the others.

"…Heero's not part of this fight!" I tuned back into the conversation when I heard Duo say my name. "He doesn't know what's going on. He's not prepared!"

Duo looked… angry.

Gaia sighed heavily. "Duo, he can't stay here when we leave. HE knows where we live and he has Heero's… scent. He would find him and kill him slowly or turn him. He knows that Heero's important to you. Would you want to risk having to fight Heero later?"

"But…"

"No, Duo. He has to come with us." Gaia's voice held a note of finality. Duo's shoulders slumped when he heard it.

I was confused. Where were they going and why did Duo want to leave me behind? Wait… kill me or turn me?

"What the HELL IS GOING ON?" I couldn't stop myself from shouting.

The arms that were still around me tightened almost imperceptibly, as if trying to give comfort.

Gaia walked closer and put her hand on my shoulder. She leaned close and whispered in my ear.

"You might want to sit down for this."

I was pushed down onto the pull-out couch, sitting stiffly as Duo came closer and sat down next to me.

"Heero, there's a lot going on here that you don't know about."

I snorted. "No shit."

Duo glared me into silence and continued.

"There are two wars going on right now. One has been going on for nearly 200 years, the one you are fighting. The other is much, much older than that. About 4,000 years ago, a man named Algol (2) renounced God and became a vampire. Over a few thousand years, he created an army, a vampiric army. He turned military officers, thieves, royalty, basically anyone who had skills he thought he would be able to use. He never turned anyone without plans for their skills.

"His underlings, however, were not so intelligent. They turned humans when hungry, not caring about the consequences. Every so often, they would slip up, big time. Vampeels, like me, Gaia, and Dweia, were created…"

"Yeah, but they didn't just slip up with the three of us; they fucked up in a huge way." Dweia cut in.

Duo nodded. "Algol's right hand man, Vega (3), turned their mother three days before she gave birth. She was a witch."

Dweia coughed. "I prefer the term 'sorceress'."

"Anyway," Duo continued, ignoring her, "They gained her power and about 500 years to master it. They alone wiped out a quarter of Algol's army before he had the ability to place magic shields."

"What about you? Why are you needed?" I asked before I could stop myself.

Duo's manic grin made an appearance. "I was Algol's biggest mistake. He had gone into hiding on L2 after these two decimated part of his army. He met a woman on the streets there. She was pregnant and sick with the plague. She was already dying and he knew that she wouldn't turn before she died. He drained her. She was dead before she ever reached the hospital. Fortunately enough, the trauma her body had gone through forced her water to break and the doctors were able to save her baby. Me.

"I survived on the streets for… years. I don't know how long, I only know I'm about fifty years older than you or any of the other pilots. I met up with another vampeel, Solo. He's the only street kid I knew that didn't die of the plague. Algol killed him, thinking he was me. He protected me until the end." Duo broke off and looked away.

After a brief pause, he looked back into my eyes. "Algol doesn't know that I'm still alive. All he knows is that there is another vampeel joining these two. He's worried because he doesn't know what kind of powers I have, only that I am joining his two strongest enemies."

"But, Duo…" Duo shook his head, so I shut my mouth.

He stood up and walked out of the room.

Gaia and Dweia glanced at each other and shrugged. "Heero, you're going to have to come with us. I would suggest getting some food in your stomach because we're leaving in an hour."

I'm sooooo sorry. I stole it from Blade. pouts But how else are you supposed to explain what a vampeel is?

Algol is actually a star and it means Demon. It's actually from the Arabic name, al Ghul. snickers I was in Astronomy while writing this, can you tell? For information on this star, go to http/www.astro. Very informative site!

I spend WAAAAAY too much time listening with half an ear in Astronomy. Plus, I know someone with that name…giggles

I absolutely adore feedback!


	3. A Meeting with the Father

Title: Bullet with Butterfly Wings 3/?

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: THIS IS NOT A SONGFIC!!! (I promise…) slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU….um.. I think that's it….

Disclaimers: pouts The Gundam Pilots don't belong to me, but I love to play with them!! If you wanna give them to me for free, I'll take 'em… Also, the song belongs to the Smashing Pumpkins, I just borrowed the title…

Notes: This fic is a little different from what I usually write. It's in first person and it's Heero's POV…. grins But it's fun to write.

Feedback: I'd love it!

**Bullet with Butterfly Wings by Gaia**

**A Meeting with the Father**

I wandered into their kitchen and found a stockpile of soup and other easily prepared foods. I checked the refrigerator and found a drawer full of cheese and an abundance of Tupperware containers.

Dweia had followed me into the kitchen and offered to make me food.

"What do you like to eat, Heero?" Dweia asked, pulling containers out of the refrigerator.

"I like most foods, but if you have any Chinese or Japanese food, that would be great."

"Perfect. I have lo mein, sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, and plain rice. Would you like one of those or a plate of all of them?"

"Um… Can I have a little bit of each, please?"

"No problem." Dweia prepared a dish for me and put it in the microwave. While it was heating up, Gaia walked in and, grabbing a bowl, filled it with white rice. She waited patiently for my food to finish.

"So, Heero. What's your story? Why are you a Gundam pilot?" Gaia leaned against the counter and leveled a quiet gaze on my face.

"It's what I was trained for since I was a child. I don't have much of a history other than that." I paled at the determined look that Gaia shot at me.

Dweia put a halt to the conversation by pulling my plate out of the microwave and handing it to me. She put her hand at the small of my back and pushed me gently into the living room, shooting an evil glare at Gaia as she went.

Gaia just shrugged and made her own plate of food.

I sat down on the couch that Gaia and Dweia had folded back up when I had left the room. I chewed silently, somehow knowing that the surprises of the day were far from over.

Duo walked back in, emotions back under control, and sat in the chair next to the couch.

"Heero, we didn't tell you all of the truth." Gaia walked around the room, shutting the blinds on all the windows. The slight glow of sunset disappeared as she shut the last blind and clicked on a lamp.

"What more can there be? Is this Algol person stopping by for tea tonight?" I asked sarcastically.

"No, but we do have some hunting to do." The gleam in Gaia's eyes scared me just a little, but I wouldn't admit it if anyone asked.

"Gaia, sit down. Heero, about a thousand years ago, Algol…mutated. His right hand man mutated about three hundred years later. This mutation was passed along to only a few of their 'children'. Gaia and I are both one of them." Dweia blushed slightly as she and Gaia took off their t-shirts, leaving them in black tank tops.

They both started shaking; eyes squeezed shut, as if in pain. A keening wail sounded from Gaia's lips and she collapsed to the ground. Dweia fell backwards into a chair and bent in half.

Something on her back caught my eye. Twin bumps grew quickly right next to her shoulder blades, stretching her skin to the breaking point. Dweia screamed and the skin of her back ripped open. Black and red feather wings grew rapidly and her scream was cut off as the skin around her wings began to heal immediately.

She stayed in the chair as she tried to catch her breath.

Gaia pushed herself to her knees, gasping. Pure black feathered wings now framed her body, their wingspan at least twice her height.

I shut my mouth when I realized it was hanging open and turned to Duo. He was looking at them in amazement.

"Sorry we didn't tell you about this sooner, Duo. We really were planning on telling you, but a lot has happened since you came here." Gaia explained when she had regained her breath.

Duo shook his head. "No, I just thought…well…um…" Duo's voice broke and he stopped talking. He started taking deeper breaths and leaned slightly forward. The back of his shirt ripped open. I stared in shock as black leathery wings forced their way through his skin and spread slightly. Duo gasped in pain and collapsed into a heap onto the floor. His wings flapped slightly when the skin around them was finished healing.

Gaia and Dweia stared in shock. "You have… wings? Your mentor doesn't know, does he?" Dweia asked; her voice hoarse.

"No. I didn't want to tell him because I know what kind of problems it would cause." Duo stared at the ground, scuffing his toe on the floor.

Gaia circled him slowly, her own wings pulled tightly behind her. "Your transformation is easier because Algol was the one who made you the way you are. I've never seen leathery wings before, except on Algol." Gaia reached out slowly and caressed one of Duo's wings, causing him to giggle.

"Sorry. They're ticklish."

Gaia nodded. "I should have figured that because so are ours."

Duo studied the two girls' wings, the same as I had been doing for the past five minutes. He reached his hand out cautiously and stroked along one of the pure black feathers of Gaia's wings and smiled when she stiffened slightly and automatically moved away.

"So, let me get this straight. You're not full-blooded vampires, you're half-bloods, you fight against your brethren and creators, and, to top all that off, you have wings and can fly?" I cringed at my tone, but couldn't stop the words from falling out of my mouth. It would seem that I had been afflicted with Duo's diarrhea of the mouth.

Duo looked at me in shock and then slowly nodded. "Yes. There's no denying that, but it's just like in the war. I'm given my orders and I'm to follow them or be considered a traitor to the cause. I've killed far more men than you might have thought and I will not hesitate to kill more if they are vampiric. You have to understand, Heero, vampires are scum. They feed on any who cross their path and don't care what lives are ruined. They toy with mortals because they are bored or just hungry. They are psychopathic killers who have a near-eternal lifespan. They need to be gotten rid of." Duo turned away.

I was on the receiving end of twin glares as Gaia and Dweia hurried to comfort Duo.

"But what happens once all the vampires are gone? Will you start hunting those who are like you? What will you do?" My voice quivered as I asked these questions.

Duo blinked and looked at me coldly. "I don't know, Heero and at this point, I could care less because we are nowhere near that point. There are too many vampires out there and you don't even realize it. Stop asking questions that have no relevance in the here and now."

Duo cracked his knuckles and started pacing the length of the room.

"Vampeels are not dangerous to humans. There's no reason for us to hunt others down. While we cannot resist the urge to feed, we have others means of feeding."

"What does that mean? Other means of feeding?" I blurted out these questions before I could stop myself.

"Cows, rats, dogs, any stray animal that would not be missed as much as a human being. I hate having to kill to feed, but it is the only way, and if you save the blood that you don't drink, you have a supply."

"I… you really are a god of death, aren't you?" I asked, unable to keep the words contained.

"No. I am THE God of Death." Duo looked at me with a strange smile on his face, one that was reminiscent of the one he had before and after a battle.

Half an hour later, the four of us stood in the living room, ready to leave for their hunt. Duo stood, resplendent in his leather outfit, with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at me. A sword was strapped over the back of his trench coat and daggers were hidden in various places over his body. Stakes were strapped to his waist and a small can of garlic spray was secured were his thigh holster usually was.

Gaia and Dweia stood in much the same type of outfit. All black leather, a sword strapped to both their backs, a second sword strapped at Dweia's hip, a bow slung over Gaia's shoulder, along with a quiver of deadly looking arrows, stakes, and garlic spray strapped to their bodies. They also had small pouches secured to their belts containing healing salves that worked to help them heal three times faster than normal. Since they were half vampire, they already healed much faster than normal, but the salve was for the more serious injuries that might slow them down during a fight.

"Are we ready to go?" Dweia looked around at all of us to check.

Duo and I nodded, while Gaia just walked out the door and slid behind the driver's seat of a black Chevy Tahoe.

She started the car after securing her weapons next to her.

When all of us were finally settled in the car, Duo in the passenger seat and me and Dweia in the backseat, Dweia turned around and started passing things to me from the rear of the car.

In the end, I had a bundle of black leather (that turned out to be a trench coat), a sword, several stakes, and a can of garlic spray.

"You keep extra trench coats in your car?" I said in a disbelieving tone.

"Of course. They are the easiest type of armor to move around in. They don't deflect bullets or anything, but not many vampires feel the need for guns, despite what you see in the movies." Dweia explained. "The leather is an extra layer that can help against swords or fangs, which are a vampire's choice weapons."

I blinked and began to wonder where I was going to carry everything.

"There's a strap that you can hook the sheath of the sword to on the back of the trench coat. The straps on the inside at chest level are for the stakes and I find that carrying the garlic spray in the pocket is quite convenient." Gaia gave me a wry smile in the rearview mirror.

"So why do you drive around in a car if you have wings and can fly wherever you need to go?"

"Flying is tiring. It can take a lot out of a person, especially if you have to go a long distance. You don't want to arrive to a battle almost completely drained from flying. Also, a lot of humans love to star-gaze and it's just safer if we don't risk being seen." Dweia said.

"Oh." I said sheepishly.

The ride continued in silence for awhile and I watched the scenery pass by.

Next to me, Duo was wiping his sword, making sure the edge was sharp, when he suddenly stiffened.

"Stop the car. This is where we need to be." He choked the words out.

"I can feel it, too." Dweia nodded.

I looked out the window, wondering what they were talking about. They could feel where they needed to be?

Gaia stopped the car and got out, followed soon by Dweia. Duo sheathed his sword and then slid out of the passenger seat.

I hesitated and, by the time I got out of the car, three winged vampeels stood around me.

Sliding the trench coat on and putting everything where I had been told to, I watched the three of them, wondering why we were standing in the middle of an open field.

"So glad we meet again, young ones." We all stiffened at the voice that came out of the darkness.

"Vega. So… happy to see you again." Gaia smiled grimly at the tall man that was walking towards us.

"You sound so very enthusiastic, my dear. One would think you'd be happy to see your father after so long."

I studied the man coming closer to us, a shiver running up my spine. He had waist length orange hair and flashing silver eyes. He was taller than any of us standing before him by at least six inches and he was very muscular. Vega was dressed in a blood red silk tunic and tight black pants. He smiled slightly, showing off his fangs and my blood ran cold.

"You were never our father. You are merely the one who murdered our mother and cursed us with your fucking heritage!" Dweia said, her jaw set.

"That heritage is the only reason I haven't killed you yet. Join me, join Algol, and you won't have to worry about fighting us." Vega said quietly.

"We would never join you." Gaia scowled at him.

Before I understood what was happening, Vega was behind me, pulling me towards his chest and holding a knife to my throat.

"Not even to spare this one's life?" He hissed.

End Chapter Three

Notes: Um… I'm sorry? For a lot of reasons. I haven't posted anything in awhile because of real life and all that bullshit. This is a little shorter than the other chapters, but it's a finished chapter, so I figured I should put it up. Please don't hurt me for ending it like I did. It'll make sense when I post the next chapter, whenever that may be.


	4. A Battle of Not So Epic Proportions

Title: Bullet with Butterfly Wings 4/?

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: THIS IS NOT A SONGFIC!!! (I promise…) slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU….um... I think that's it….

Disclaimers: pouts The Gundam Pilots don't belong to me, but I love to play with them!! If you wanna give them to me for free, I'll take 'em… Also, the song belongs to the Smashing Pumpkins; I just borrowed the title…

Notes: This fic is a little different from what I usually write. It's in first person and it's Heero's POV…. grins But it's fun to write.

I want to thank everyone that has reviewed or will review. You'll never know quite what it means to me. Without those reviews, I don't think I would keep posting what I write. I'm sorry for the cliffy!!! Really, I am. It just seemed like a good part to stop the action before it gets a little more intense.

**Bullet with Butterfly Wings by Gaia**

**A Battle of Not-So-Epic Proportions**

"Not even to spare this one's life?" He hissed.

I swallowed, feeling the cold, sharp steel of the blade press deeper into the soft flesh of my throat, blood beginning to trickle slowly down to soak into my shirt.

"Take your hands off of him before I tear you limb from limb." Duo growled. His wings were flared out and his eyes were glowing with the anger that was radiating off his body.

"Why? He's so pretty…" Vega ran his tongue up the side of my neck on the opposite of the bleeding wound. "And he tastes so very good."

I shuddered in his grasp.

Vega smiled and put the knife away. He kept a hold on my shoulder with his left hand and wrapped his right arm around my waist, pulling me closer.

"What's your name, pretty boy?" Vega's breath ghosted over my ear.

I shivered, but refused to answer him.

He sighed and I felt a small nudge in my mind.

"You see, Heero, all I want is to be treated with respect. I want my daughters to recognize me as their father. I don't want to have to kill them for defying my master. Is that really too much to ask?" Vega put his chin on my shoulder and lifted his left hand to my face, caressing my cheek gently.

Duo growled, having watched the whole thing intently.

"I told you to get your fucking hands off of him, Vega. I meant what I said." Duo launched himself at Vega, determined to free me from his grasp.

Vega pulled me back as he dodged Duo. "Now, now. Do not be too hasty." He let go of my shoulders and /gave me a slight push towards Duo.

"I never said I was going to hurt him. He's very tempting. Is he yours?" Vega asked.

Duo glared at him and ignored Vega's question. "You never said you weren't going to hurt him either."

Vega nodded in acknowledgement and ran his hand through his hair. "I hope you do not mind my asking, but who are you, anyway?"

"Someone who should have been killed long ago." Duo said.

"There are quite a few people that should have been killed long ago, but none that would merit being partnered to those two." He pointed to Gaia and Dweia.

Dweia blinked in shock at the statement and then huffed. "Don't fall for his bullshit, Duo. He's just trying to lull you into a sense of comfort. That's what he does."

Vega snickered. "You know me too well, daughter."

"Don't call me daughter! You killed my mother; you never had a relationship with her!" Dweia screamed and raised her arms, balls of fire growing in her palms. She sent one racing towards Vega and laughed at his look of horror. He dodged it, but she had already sent out the second one with a blast of wind to help its speed, anticipating his actions. It hit him right on his abdomen.

His silk shirt lit on fire and was consumed within seconds. Vega cried out in pain as the fire reached his flesh.

A wave of power rolled off of Vega, extinguishing the flames and knocking Dweia back a few feet.

"I wish you had not done that, daughter of mine. I did not want to have to fight you." He smiled grimly, his canines flashing in the dim light.

He growled and moved, faster than anyone expected, instantly appearing behind Dweia and grabbing her wings.

His dagger gleamed as he drew it out and aimed to plunge it in Dweia's heart as he tightened his grip of the hand left on her wings...

She forced his hands away a millisecond before it reached her flesh and her body began to crackle with pure power that shoved Vega away from her. As he moved, he didn't release his grip on her wings, tearing out a handful of the black and crimson feathers.

"You gave me five hundred years to prepare for this. Do you honestly think you can take me down so easily?" Dweia growled as she winced. She reached up to feel the damage and her hands came back red with blood.

Vega gasped as he felt sharp nails digging into his shoulders from behind.

"I hope you didn't expect me to stand by and watch while you tried to kill my sister." Gaia said through clenched teeth as she leaned close to his ear.

The shock of his daughters' powers subsided and he regained control of his own power.

Vega drew in a deep breathe and broke Dweia's spell, spinning and striking Gaia with his fist, sending her flying back.

She landed on the ground with a thud and glared up at him. Her right hand clenched into a fist and static electricity began to gather around it. When it had gathered into a blue flame around her fist, she released it, sending a bolt of lightening streaking towards Vega.

It happened so quickly that he could not avoid it, the pain piercing his chest, causing him to back up a step.

"Your mother made you more powerful than I could have guessed. You aren't more powerful than I am, though. Do you really want to find out the hard way?" Vega hissed at Gaia and Dweia.

He gathered energy around him, pushing it in front of his chest to form a glowing green ball of energy. He released it, sending it streaking towards Gaia. Gaia blinked and threw up a shield of lightening, but the energy passed right through it.

She dove out of the way, but the ball caught her right leg. She fell to the ground, blood oozing from the gaping wound in her thigh.

"Shit." Gaia gasped and fumbled around in her pockets for her healing salve.

"Don't even bother with your useless salve. It can't do anything for wounds caused by energy." Vega smirked at Gaia as she paled.

Duo, who had been running to Gaia to help her, was suddenly standing in front of Vega. He rammed his fist into Vega's face as hard as he could.

Vega hit the ground and lay still for a second, the shock apparent on his face from Duo's speed.

He pushed himself back up, licking a trace of blood off his lips.

"Nice shot. However, you don't have enough power to beat me. It doesn't matter who your vampire parent is; you have no chance." Vega sneered.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Duo smiled at Vega, but the situation made the smile scarier than I had ever seen it.

"Why should I fear you? You cannot be more than fifty. Pitiful. A fifty-year-old could never muster up the power to beat me." Vega laughed, distracted by his pride.

Twin bolts of lightening shot past Duo, slamming into Vega's unsuspecting chest. He gasped in surprise and stumbled, feeling the lightening in every cell of his undead body. The air around Gaia sparked with static electricity and she smiled grimly at Vega.

"I'm sick and tired of your voice. You need to realize that you are not the strongest creature in the world." Gaia said as she stood slowly, favoring her right leg.

Dweia sent a flicker of flame towards Vega. As soon as it touched him, it ignited.

Vega was whimpering in pain, even as fire torched the muscles beneath his skin, consuming his flesh quickly until bone showed through.

Gaia added a touch more lightening to get him screaming more.

"You never learn… Even when we fought you before, you never realized that when powerful people fight together, they have the ability to beat you." Dweia said.

"Enough. We need him to go back to Algol and be our messenger boy." Duo growled.

Gaia sighed. "Alright." She raised an arm and Vega was doused in water, smothering the flames.

Vega took a deep breath and stood shakily. His burnt flesh was already healing, but I could see the pain clearly on his face.

Duo got right in his face. "Looks like you're not as tough as you want us to think. And don't judge me by my age. You have no idea who turned my mother, so don't fucking assume that I am less powerful than you are."

"Who could possibly have fathered you to make you more powerful than I am?" Vega asked, slight confusion marring his features.

"Who the fuck do you think, asshole?" Duo stepped back and let that thought sink into Vega's head.

"No, that's not possible. The only one who could possibly be strong enough was killed years ago. We made sure. You're lying."

"I don't lie. Tell your master that he should have made sure to kill the right vampeel on L2, not just the only one he could find. You see, I've lived my whole life hiding from who I really am. It's a good thing I had Solo to tell me of my birth, but you fucks took him away from me. Go run home to your master with you tail between your legs and tell him that I'm coming for him." Duo slammed his fist into Vega's stomach, forcing him to collapse to the ground.

He spun, his trench coat flaring out, and headed for the car.

Dweia walked over to Vega. "You're lucky, asshole. So very lucky." She kicked him hard in the ribs and walked away, following Duo.

Gaia limped over to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders, for the comfort and support that we both needed. We walked slowly over to the car. Gaia retracted her wings and slid into the backseat slowly, pain flashing across her face.

"Don't you want to at least bandage that?" I asked as I slid in next to her.

"No, we need to get back. I'll take care of it there." She smiled at me. "Don't worry. I've done it before. I'll survive."

"She's a stubborn ass, just so you know. Every time she gets hurt, she refuses to do anything about it until she makes sure everyone else is okay." Dweia smiled at me.

"And Dweia always nags at me as soon as we get back until I take care of myself." Gaia stuck her tongue out at Dweia, then closed her eyes, and leaned her head back.

Dweia laughed and then made to slide into the driver's seat. She hissed slightly as her wings hit the roof of the car. They were shredded, bleeding sluggishly where Vega had ripped at them. She folded them in behind her, sitting forward in the seat.

"Thank the gods for tinted windows because I can't retract my wings like this." She started the car and, as soon as Duo was in, drove away from the site of the battle.

Duo snorted. "You and Gaia are exactly alike. You both don't worry about your injuries until everyone is safe. Let's go back to the house and take care of you two." Duo looked back at me. "Scratch that, we need to take care of all three of you."

I looked down and felt my neck. It was still bleeding from the cut Vega had given me. The stain was spreading slowly on the front of my shirt.

I wiped at it with my hand to get as much dried blood off as I could.

"Don't do that, Heero!"

I looked up in shock at Duo's outburst.

"You could introduce bacteria when you do that. Don't touch it; we'll take care of you when we get home." Duo said quickly.

My hand dropped back into my lap and I nodded.

Duo's grin was adorable and soon, we were all smiling.

Dweia pulled up in front of their house and slid out, grabbing all her things and running for the back door.

Duo followed her as I waited for Gaia and helped her into the house.

"Sorry about that, you two. I couldn't risk having my wings seen, despite the time. You never know when someone has trouble sleeping." Dweia said and then started walking up the stairs.

"Understandable." Gaia said as she limped over to her chair. Lakota ran over to her and, when she sat down, the wolf climbed into her lap, avoiding Gaia's injured thigh completely.

"Hey, boy. You're so good. Yes, you are." Gaia was petting Lakota slowly and Lakota had his head on Gaia's shoulder.

I blinked. Lakota seemed to know that Gaia was hurt was trying to comfort her.

"Is he a normal wolf?" I asked quietly.

"In a way. However, he's my familiar, so he understands me. He knows what I need and helps me do what I must." Gaia scratched Lakota's ears.

Duo stretched. "Alright, let's get you guys fixed up."

Dweia came bounding down the stairs, Taletha right on her heels. Her wings were already retracted.

I blinked. "I thought you couldn't…"

"Just a little healing salve and they healed right up." She smiled at me.

"Duo, why don't you take care of Heero's neck and I'll take care of Gaia's leg. Sound like a plan?"

"Yep, that sounds like a good one." Duo said.

Dweia sat on the floor in front of Gaia and had her put her leg in Dweia's lap.

She pulled a needled and sterilized thread out of the first aid kit she had brought down with her and held the needle over her palm.

With a whispered word, she called forth a small flame and held the needle in it. Then she wiped it down with an alcohol pad and placed it next to her on the top of the first aid kit.

Dweia looked up sympathetically at Gaia, who nodded once. Dweia sighed and began cleaning the wound. Luckily, Gaia's pants were torn so badly that the material did not get in the way.

When Dweia finally began stitching, she started chanting a spell to help the wound stay closed.

Duo put his hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Heero. Time to take care of your neck." He directed me towards the bathroom and I noticed that he had set up so he could clean my wound as soon as I was in there.

He turned me towards him and put one finger under my chin, tilting my head up and out of the way. He wiped gently at the dried blood with a wet washcloth.

"We need to get that stain out of your shirt." He threw the washcloth in the sink and grabbed the hem of my shirt, pulling it off over my head. I complied, lifting my arms to help him. He tossed the shirt in the corner and grabbed an alcohol wipe. He began dabbing at the wound, smiling gently when I hissed at the sting of the alcohol.

The gentle pressure that Duo was applying to my neck combined with the alcohol was enough to make the wound bleed again.

"Sorry." He said quietly.

"It's alright." I replied.

Duo had stopped moving. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and saw him looking intently at my neck.

"Duo…?"

My words caused him to move, but not in the way I expected.

Duo leaned closer, his eyes closed, and licked at the blood seeping down my neck. At the first taste, he growled, wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight against his body.

"Duo, what…" I breathed, but couldn't continue when he licked my neck again and then pressed his lips to mine.

In a moment of clarity, I realized that this was what I wanted. Duo kissing me freely. Duo holding me. Duo. I wanted Duo.

I relaxed into his arms and sighed as he deepened the kiss.

I shivered, pleasure coursing through my veins. The movement seemed to shock Duo and he pushed himself away from me.

"Oh, god. Heero, I'm so sorry!" He ran from the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Hands shaking, I put a band-aid on my neck using the mirror. I then sat on the toilet after putting the lid down and put my head in my hands.

Duo just wanted the taste of blood and had gotten caught in the moment. He didn't want me. He would never want me.

I groaned.

What was I going to do? How could I act like nothing had changed between us?

I rubbed my hands over my face and stood, cleaning up the bathroom.

When that was finished, I walked out into the living room to see Gaia and Dweia sitting in pretty much the same positions as when I had left. Duo was sitting on the far side of the couch.

I sat on the couch on the opposite end of Duo and watched as Dweia finished stitching Gaia's thigh.

She put gauze and medical tape on top of the wound and smiled.

"All done."

"Thank you, Dweia." Gaia shifted and yawned.

"I agree, Gaia. It's bedtime. You never know when Algol will want to get even." Dweia looked out the window at the lightening horizon. "Seeing as how he can't come for awhile, we should grab as much sleep as we can."

Duo nodded and grabbed the blankets and pillows as I stood and pulled the pullout bed from the couch. Dweia and Gaia said goodnight and walked upstairs to their rooms.

Duo spread one of the blankets on the bed and left the other on the floor. He put most of the pillows on the bed and dropped one on top of the blanket on the floor.

He went into the bathroom and changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. I went into the bathroom after him and, by the time I finished changing into flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt, he was cocooned in the blanket on the floor.

"Duo, why are you on the floor?" I asked.

Duo didn't even look at me. "No reason."

"Then get up on the bed. There's plenty of room."

"Heero, I don't want to hurt you! I can't believe I did that to you in the bathroom. I almost bit you and then, to make matters worse, I kissed you! I'm shocked you didn't kill me." Duo said quickly.

"Why would I kill you?"

"I'm sure you don't appreciate being kissed by your best friend when you have a princess waiting for you."

"Relena?" At Duo's nod, I threw back my head and laughed. "Relena and I are just friends. We both feel we're far too different for anything to work. We had quite a long conversation about it too."

"You did?" Duo looked like he was in shock.

"Yes. We decided that her pacifist ideals and my history of violence would not… mesh well. She also admitted that she only had a crush on me and that she's found someone else who has the same ideals and that her brother would approve of."

Duo was silent for a moment, taking it all in. When he spoke, his voice shook slightly. "Brother?"

"Relena does have a brother. She's only just met him. His name is Milliardo, but he likes to go by Zechs Merquise." I smiled at the look on Duo's face.

"Wha…?"

I nodded. Duo shook his head and looked to be pondering the relationship that Zechs and Relena could possibly have.

"Stop thinking about them and get up in the bed!" I said.

"But…"

"No, I don't care. You won't hurt me. Get. Up. HERE!" I hissed.

"Alright, as long as you're sure." He muttered.

I watched as Duo picked up his blanket and pillow, spread his blanket on the bed, and lay down. He was laying on the far edge of the bed. If he moved around like he normally did, he would fall off. I sighed.

"Goodnight, Duo."

"Night, Heero."

I closed my eyes and let the sound of Duo's quiet breathing lull me to sleep.

Warm. Warm and comfortable. I pressed closer to the warmth and yawned. I didn't want to wake up, I was too comfortable.

My ear was pressed against a warm, smooth expanse that was beating in my ear.

My pillow moved slightly and I was enveloped in a hug.

"Heero…" My pillow was whispering in his sleep.

I smiled, happy that he wasn't fighting, even if it was only while he was sleeping.

Whispers came from the kitchen of the house, causing me to blink. Gaia and Dweia were in the kitchen. They had gotten past both Duo and me without waking either of us up. I tensed, not understanding how it had happened.

Unfortunately, when the feeling of my tensing muscles broke through Duo's layers of sleep, he was wide awake and flinching away from me.

"Duo? What's wrong?" I asked quietly.

"You're… you're not going to hit me?" He whispered hesitantly.

"Why would I hit you?" I asked, shocked.

"I didn't mean to sleep so close to you. I should have stayed on the floor. I'm so sorry. I felt you tense up. I'm sorry! It won't happen again."

"Duo, calm down. I tensed up because Gaia and Dweia got past us while we were sleeping. I was actually rather comfortable." I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Oh." Duo relaxed as the word slipped past his lips.

I lay back down. "I'm still tired, go back to sleep."

Duo smiled back at me and relaxed completely, snuggling up against me and using me for his pillow.

I wrapped my arm around him and closed my eyes, falling quickly back down into the comforting embrace of sleep.

I blinked as I woke a second time, sunlight streaming into my eyes from the window.

My ears picked up the sounds of movement from the kitchen. Gaia and Dweia were still out there.

In the small amount of time that we had gone back to sleep, Duo had thrown a leg over mine and was hugging my chest.

He murmured slightly when I stroked a hand over his braid, rejoicing in the silken feel against my skin.

I pondered how to get out of the bed without waking Duo, but, with the way he was sprawled on me, it was impossible.

Shrugging slightly, I settled in to study his face until he decided to wake up.

He was so relaxed in his sleep, looking too innocent by half. His mouth was slightly open, fangs pressed against the skin of my chest.

Yesterday, that would have made me nervous, but today, I didn't even care. If he bit me, I would probably enjoy it.

"Hey, Heero, we're making breakfast. Do you want to wake Duo up?" Dweia whispered from the doorway.

"No need to wake Duo up. He's awake already." Duo said with a yawn.

I laughed. I had felt him waking up and expected something like this out of him.

Gaia popped her head around the corner and sighed. "Don't you two look adorable like that? Aww…" She went back into the kitchen, humming on the way.

Duo blinked and then three his head back, laughing hysterically.

"She's priceless." He said between gasps once he finished laughing.

"She always has been. Believe me, she's insane." Dweia said.

"Yeah, we kind of figured. She's a witch vampeel with a wolf familiar AND she's related to you. You are, quite obviously, crazy as well. Who wouldn't be crazy in that situation?" Duo joked.

Dweia laughed and made a face.

Duo rolled out of bed and walked into the bathroom.

I sighed, knowing it was time to get out of bed, but I already missed the feel of Duo against me.

Dweia smiled down at me. "Well, this is a much different way for you two to wake up. What's happened since yesterday?"

I grinned at her and sat up. "We talked a little after you two went to bed. We cleared a few things up."

She nodded. "Good."

Duo walked back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

Dweia smiled and walked back into the kitchen when Duo gave her a pleading look.

Hands in his lap, Duo looked at me and smiled nervously.

"You're really not mad at me?"

I gazed at Duo, surprised that he could ask that. Before I could think of what I was doing, I leaned towards Duo and captured his lips in a gentle kiss.

He squeaked slightly, but settled quickly into the kiss, wrapping his arms around me and deepening the kiss.

I can't tell you how long we kissed, I have absolutely no idea. All I know is that the kiss was broken by the soft sound of a sigh.

Duo and I pulled away from the kiss, but stayed wrapped together, glaring at the intruders.

Gaia and Dweia stood in the doorway, gazing at us dreamily.

Dweia giggled. "See, he's not mad at you at all, Duo."

End Chapter Four

Notes:: Yet again, I'm very sorry it's been so long. I hope to be updating soon… but soon in my time is not very soon in everyone else's time. I'm taking financial accounting and it's killing me, so we'll see how it goes from here on out. I am going to try to update as often as I can.


End file.
